To Die for my Country But Live for my Love
by Aki WildQueen
Summary: Instead of the Cold War remaining "cold," Alfred/America & Ivan/Russia clash at the edge of Eastern Asia. Wounded by a lucky blow from Alfred, Ivan was forced to flee into the depths of an ancient bamboo forest. There he meets Yao/China RoChu Yaoi UPDATED
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia and as much as I may love it, I never will.

_**IMPORTANT**_~! Please read Author's Note at the bottom!

"Normal speech"

'_Thought speech'_

_Flashback_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 1

* * *

Dark black clouds hovered threateningly above a field. Lightning flashed across the sky, briefly illuminating the struggling figures below. The rumbling of thunder soon followed, momentarily muffling the clash of swords.

The two people locked in battle were oblivious to this all. Their absolute attention was focused on the other. Each tried to best their opponent; to cause an injury in which would win them the battle.

Crimson streaks already decorated their forms; flowing sluggishly from the numerous wounds they had already inflicted on each other. Gasping breaths and the sounds of their fighting echoed loudly in the meadow. Weariness was highlighted in every movement of their exhausted stature.

Their bodies were already at their limit.

Suddenly one broke away from their deadly dance.

"Stop," Alfred wheezed. "I don't want this; I don't want to fight you. We were allies against the Axis countries and I thought we were friends-"

"We are." Ivan panted. He shook his disheveled hair out of his eyes and straightened.

"Then why are we doing this?!" Alfred demanded, standing taller. "Can't we just go back to how we were-"

"No, Alfred. We cannot." Ivan voiced with another small shake of his head. "Not unless you allow me to continue to-"

"-forcing countries to become one with Russia?! You can't do that!" Alfred said sharply. "I can't let you; I won't let you…" His face saddened before gaining resolve as his voice trailed off.

"Then we must fight." Ivan murmured. His tall figure slowly shifted into his battle stance.

"Yes… We must." Alfred repeated softly as he got into his own battle position.

Both stood frozen in wait for an unspoken signal to begin.

The whole clearing flashed white from an overhead streak of lightning. Thunder immediately reverberated as the heavens opened up and rain fell upon the two below; drenching though their clothing almost instantly.

Except, they didn't notice this because the moment the lightning had lit everything up, they had both sprung at each other with swords drawn.

As the first drops of water had landed on their uniforms, their weapons met with a resounding clang. The deadly silvery rapiers sprang apart only to meet again in an instant; as if drawn together by unseen magnetic forces. Over and over, this dangerous clash continued; neither side willing to back down. Their fight had evolved into something much more than brawn but of spirit and will.

Yielding was not an option; their pride and honor would never permit it.

As the battle dragged on, their bodies began to chill from the unrelenting downpour of rain. However, the heat of the battle both warmed them and blocked out their sense of the cold.

Nevertheless, such a mêlée could not continue on forever; they were already straining under the duress and pressure. Limbs were slowly becoming numb from the cold and exhaustion could be seen in every movement.

It was over before either of them even realized it.

With the heavy torrent of water falling from the heavens, the field had become extremely slippery and muddy. Puddles of watery mud lay hidden under the long grasses.

While dodging a swing from Ivan, Alfred had slipped backwards on a slick patch of muddy grass. Ivan, sensing a potential opening lunged forward. What he didn't expect was that as Alfred fell backwards, he reflexively thrust his sword arm forward in an attempt to regain his balance.

Under normal circumstances, Ivan would have had no trouble evading the blade. However, with rain in his eyes and the lack of friction and traction in his footing, he wasn't able to dodge the deadly steel.

Blossoms of red began to bloom in the pools of water.

Alfred gazed up in stricken horror in the mud he fell in. His sword was impaled though Ivan's left shoulder, gleaming silver and red.

"Ivan…" Alfred breathed in shock. He never could have imagined that this could happen.

Ivan gritted his teeth and wrenched himself off the sword. He stumbled back and lifted his right hand to the wound to apply pressure, trying to stem the bleeding to no avail.

"W-wait!" Having finally come to his senses, Alfred climbed out of the mud and wobbled toward Ivan. "We need to stop the bleed- no! Come back! Ivan!" As Alfred had started rambling in panic, Ivan had lurched away and began to stagger away towards the surrounding bamboo forest.

'_Get away.' _That was the only thought that resounded through Ivan's mind. _'Get away.'_

Ivan plowed through the dense forest, uncaring of what lay in his way. All his focus was on getting as far away as possible.

Deeper and deeper into the shadows of the bamboo he went, until the calls made by Alfred were no longer audible. Still he continued on, almost blindly stumbled along.

Soon his remaining strength waned and combined with the blood loss, he began to become dizzy. His balance was failing and his endurance was at the limit.

"No..." His weak whisper could not even be heard over the gentle pitter patter of the rain. His legs finally couldn't support his weight anymore and folded beneath him. He was just barely able to catch himself on some nearby stalks of bamboo before he landed in the mud.

Groaning he tried to drag himself up and keep going but the combination of rain, blood, and his rapidly deteriorating strength caused him to loose his grip.

With a tremendous crash, he fell into the mud. The pain jolted him from his near unconscious state as both the fall and the mud aggravated his already painful wound that was still sluggishly bleeding. His body instinctively tried to curl into a ball to protect itself from the pain.

He coughed into his hand and barely noticed the splash of red that marred his pale palm. Trying to get up again, he gripped the bamboo stalk beside his head only to collapse as that action sent a new wave of pain throughout his body.

Dazed violet eyes slowly opened one last time to see a blurry sunflower open next to his head.

His last thought before falling into the blissful darkness was of how beautiful the golden flower looked splattered with his blood.

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

Hi everyone! I know I should be updating Starlight Darknight but this plot bunny hit me like a train wreck after the Hetalia gathering at Anime Los Angeles. I was cosplaying as China when one of my friends found a Russia's star medal. Of course, I (with my good friends, Osaka and Net Li) went off to find "my Russia." When I found her (It was a girl cosplaying as Russia. Actually most of the Russias were girls.) we struck together the whole time. It was really fun and what inspired this story. I will try my best to update more but I have no guarantees. School-work, midterms and other things life decides to throw at me will delay me but I will NOT ever abandon this OR Starlight Darknight. That will be updated but it will likely take awhile. Sorry in advance.

I hope you will enjoyed this story!

Review for me and Mr. Bunny! They really help me update faster!

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( ..)

c(")(")


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia and as much as I may love it, I never will.

_**IMPORTANT**_~! Please read Author's Note at the bottom!

"Normal speech"

'_Thought speech'_

_Flashback_

* * *

Chapter 2

* * *

A sea of green and gold gently swayed in the wind. Lines of brown snaked through the pools of water. In the distance, small figures could be seen bent over and working in the rice patties. The sound of distant thunder rolled over the sloping hills and rumbled through the valley. Dark clouds hovered above, threatening to release a downpour of rain at any moment.

A small child appeared from over a distant hill. The little girl had in her hands a sturdy woven basket with a cloth over it and a crimson umbrella.

"父亲、哥哥、王先生！快到中午了！我把吃的拿来了！" The little girl cheerfully called out, waving her hand to further capture the attention of the people working in the fields. "大家休息吧！"

The three people who had been diligently working in the fields all stood up and stretched. After a morning of digging up trenches and building barriers to prevent flooding and then weeding up many stubborn plants, they were quite tired and happy to take a break for lunch.

Out of the three figures, one of them did not wear clothes made from roughly spun homemade cloth. Instead, he wore a sturdy but finely woven cotton piping taiji shirt and long pants. His clothes were a brilliant crimson with gold thread unlike the plain brown that the others wore. Smiling at the child, he removed his straw hat, revealing his stunning features.

Silky ebony tresses framed a face that was elegant and delicate with a hidden core of steel. Dark caramel eyes held a mischievous glimmer in their deep but crystal clear depths. Rosy pink lips were parted in a gentle smile, revealing a glimpse of straight white teeth.

"哎呀~! 做了那么多事，可以休息和吃一点东西，这样我会感觉很开心!" The little girl smiled at his kind words and reached into her basket. Pulling out a still steaming bao zhi, she handed that to him before a second and third to the other two men whom were her father and elder brother.

＂谢谢。" Taking a big bite out of the bun, the man hummed with pleasure at the delightful taste of homemade red bean paste.

"You could all quit farming and make these at my palace. I would definitely buy this every day." The man in red mumbled with his mouth full of the delicious food. "This is definitely worth working in the fields to help promote communism, aru."

＂你说什么？＂The little girl tilted her head in puzzlement. She had heard him but did not understand him because of her lack of knowledge of the English language.

"啊，＂He blushed. "没什么了。我现在走一走。＂He took another bite and turned to head toward the bamboo forest where he had heard there were many pandas.

"别忘了带雨伞，看上去要下雨了。"The little girl darted forward and handed the red umbrella to the man.

Nodding his head in thanks, he continued on, in search of his beloved pandas.

* * *

Entering the shade of the bamboo, he quietly padded along an almost hidden trail. Breathing deeply, he relaxed and curiously began to explore his surroundings.

A rustling noise to his left put him on full alert. It could be one of his beloved pandas... Or it could be a hungry tiger. One could never too careful.

Carefully and silently making his way toward the location in which the sound had come from, he mentally prepared himself for the worst.

Chirp!

He sighed both relief and disappointment when all that was behind the bushes was a small bird foraging for seeds and insects.

"Aiyah, I wish you were a panda rather than a little bird. Though its better that you were a bird and not a tiger." He sighed crouched down to observe the tiny sparrow scratch at the ground.

Just then, the heavens finally decided to open up and release their burden of water.

With a muttered Chinese curse, he hurriedly opened his umbrella and took shelter under it's bright webbing.

The small bird cheeped and to the Asian man's great surprise, took flight and landed upon his shoulder. There it proceeded to hunker down; it looked like a little ball of fluff and feathers.

The man shook his head in amusement, carefully avoiding any large movement to avoid dislodging his tiny hitchhiker.

"Well, you can stay there as long as you stay quiet and don't make a mess." With that, he got up and journeyed on into the forest.

He made his way deeper and deeper into the very heart of the bamboo forest, more out of a need of escape than any real curiosity. Soon he was near the center of the forest where it was still completely untouched by any man. The rain was still falling but the worst of it was blocked by the thick blanket of leave growing above.

The little bird suddenly took flight.

"Aaah-?!" Startled, the man's gaze followed the flight path. His eyes widened when he caught a glimpse of white in the direction the bird had flown.

Quickly, he walked toward the patch of white he could make out through the bamboo stalks. Getting closer he realized that what he had mistaken as white was actually cream.

Getting closer, he frowned as he began to see more clearly what it was.

"What's this?" Reaching out he carefully plucked the object from the bamboo shoot it was snagged on. "A cream thread? What is this doing here?" Looking up he saw another strand hooked close by. Truly puzzled now, he made his way to the second bit of string. Reaching out to unsnarl it, he realized there was something different about it.

"Is that... blood?!" The end of the thread was stained ruby red.

Eyes widening in shock, he quickly straightened and looked around more closely. He could just make out the faint hint of pink in a puddle of water up ahead. Being careful to avoid stepping into the small pool of water, he scanned the forest floor for further traces of crimson. His eyes widened when he could make out the signs of a trail of crimson.

As he followed the trail, he discovered more and more blood. What had been a scant trace of pink had grown to become pools of red. He grew increasingly worried as he forged onwards.

Peering around a shrub, he was met with the sight of a trailing end of cream cloth. It's tattered condition made it so that the man had to take a minute, before he came to the realization that it was a scarf.

He quickly made his way around the bush and stopped dead in his tracks.

As he had moved to pick up the scarf, his eyes had looked along the length of the torn fabric only to meet a sight that would haunt his dreams for days to come.

Splashes of red were the most prominent color in his vision. It was smeared on several stalks of bamboo as well as liberally coating much of the surrounding rocks and ground. But that was not what caused fear to grip his heart.

Lying nearly face down in the mud was a man. He appeared to be wearing a large tan or beige coat but it was hard to tell if that was the true color due to the vast quantities of blood and mud plaster on his enormous frame.

As the Asian man rushed to the fallen man's side, he realized that the man was shivering violently; whether it was due to the cold or blood loss he did not know. It was probably a combination of the two. Turning him over, he was met with the sight of a handsome face that was distinctly European.

Curls of dark blonde hair framed a strong yet innocent visage. His full lips were turning blue from the cold. Already pale skin was almost snow white. All this was complemented by his tall frame that should have been too large but seemed to suit him.

Shaking his head to momentarily put the questions of what the man was doing here and how he had become injured aside, the slim Asian man crouched down and carefully assessed the wounds.

Almost immediately, he could tell that if he didn't get the man medical aid immediately, it would be quite likely he would not survive the night. He had numerous cuts and lacerations decorating his body. However, what was worrying the Asian man the most was the deep stab wound on his shoulder. That was the gravest of his wounds and he was losing too much blood.

'_I have to do something.'_ He knew he had to get the man to the village. While there wasn't a hospital, they did have a traveling doctor that was staying there for the time being.

Wrapping the scarf around the severe stab wound, tried to stem the bleeding with some success. He then carefully lifted the man's uninjured shoulder and arm up around his neck and tried to stand. He immediately stumbled under the weight. _'He's so heavy! How am I going to get him there in time?'_

As panic began bubbling through his head, he heard a small sound. He looked around but could find nothing that could possibly make the sound he had heard. Turning his head to look at the injured man he could see that he was still unconscious. Then he heard it again and this time he could tell that the man was making the sound. A soft whimper of pain, much like a child that had scraped his knee, issued from the man. The sound awoke the protective feelings inside him.

He had to save this man.

Groaning, he heaved the man over his shoulders and began to stagger his way through the forest. _'Please stay alive. Please.'_

Through the forest he lurched and with every step he took he could feel blood seeping into his shirt and dripping down his back. He pushed himself further and finally the path and fields could be seen.

When he broke out of the bamboo stalks he was immediately seen by the farmers he had been working with. They rushed to his side and without delay began helping him support the man.

"医生在那里？！" He demanded. "在那里？！"

"他已经走了。" The little girl stuttered.

"He's gone? The doctor's gone?" What was he going to do? The man on his back was going to _die_ and now the doctor had already left. What could he could he do now? There was no hope for him. The most he could do was try to ease what pain he had before the man succumbed to death. Then he heard the faint whimper again.

"What am I thinking?! I'm Wang Yao and I _**will not**_ let this man die!"

To be continued…

* * *

Translations:

"父亲、哥哥、王先生！快到中午了！我把吃的拿来了！"

"Father, big brother, and Mr. Wang! It's almost lunch time! I've brought food!"

"大家休息吧！"

"Everyone take a break!"

"哎呀~! 做了那么多事，可以休息和吃一点东西，这样我会感觉很开心!"

"Aiyah~! After working so hard, to be able to to take a break and eat makes me very happy!"

＂谢谢。"

"Thank you."

＂你说什么？＂

"What did you say?"

"啊，" "没什么了。我现在走一走。＂

"Ahh," "It's nothing. I'm going for a walk."

"别忘了带雨伞，看上去要下雨了。"

"Don't forget to bring an umbrella, it looks like it's going to rain."

"医生在那里？！" "在那里？！"

"Where's the doctor?!" "Where is he?!"

"他已经走了。"

"He already left."

* * *

AN: This fanfic can be found on my deviantart which is my homepage.

http:// aki-wildqueen. deviantart. com/gallery/#To-Die-for-My-Country-But-Live-for-my-Love

My dear friend Osaka has drawn fanart of chapter 1 and chapter 2. Just take our the spaces.

http:// notorious-osaka. deviantart. com/art/RoChu-Die-for-My-Country-1-154858067

http:// notorious-osaka. deviantart. com/art/RoChu-Die-for-My-Country-2-156765905


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia and as much as I may love it, I never will.

**_IMPORTANT_**~! Please read Author's Note at the bottom!

"Normal speech"

'_Thought speech'_

_Flashback_

* * *

Chapter 3

* * *

Cold.

He was locked in a forever frozen world of snow and ice.

Standing in an desolate dimension of nothing, he struggled to move. All his limbs felt heavy and sluggish as if his veins were filled with liquid ice from glaciers. He shivered violently; his body trying to gain some warmth but fighting a losing battle.

He was so cold.

He was always in the cold.

He could not remember a time where he was not in eternal winter. From the moment his eyes had opened, snow and ice had greeted him.

He was the prince of the icy planes of the frigid winterlands. He was Ivan Braginski, personification of the great Russia.

However, forever fending off General Winters' attacks had left him so very tired and weary of his existence. After being alone for so long he was slowly losing his grip on reality.

His dreams were filled with sunshine, warmth, and fields of beautiful sunflowers. Only there did he ever have even a semblance of peace.

But his dreams were just that, a dream.

No matter how much he wished it, he would never have the peace. Even his dreams were marred with this realization.

Without fail, everything would always turn sour. He was forced to watch time after time as the air turned frigid and frost began to form on the edges of the meadow. Sunflower after sunflower wilted, unable to withstand the cold. Finally one lone flower was left before him.

As he crouched down and reached out to gently stroke it's petals, it quivered and died.

Everything he touched died. Everyone he knew left him.

He wasn't meant to have peace.

Even in his own mind, he was in torment.

Encased in an un-melting shell of ice and broken dreams, he clung to what was left of his sanity.

In an effort to protect what was left of his sanity, he gave into the cold and encased his heart in an un-melting shell of ice and broken dreams.

If he didn't feel anymore, he wouldn't be hurt anymore. He had already felt too much pain; he didn't want to feel anymore.

Crack.

He turned his head in surprise. A large plane of glass was directly behind him. Looking closer he could he a hairline fissure running down it's length. Gazing into the glass, he caught sight of his reflection.

On one side of the crack, he could see his sad smile and dull violet eyes. Tousled hair framed his face and weariness was clearly visible in every inch of his body. His clothes were scuffed and worn. He twisted slightly to the side to view the other half of his reflection.

He immediately regretted it.

There was nothing normal about the other side. His mouth was twisted in a mockery of a smile; more cruel than anything. His eyes held a glint of insanity as well as pure malice. Splatters of blood bespeckled his face and clothes.

Ivan trembled as he beheld himself in the mirror. Two sides of the same man. No matter how far he ran, he could not escape himself, especially when they were not equal; with one hidden within the other.

Suddenly the darker half of his reflection smirked. Opening his mouth, with cruelty in the very curve of his lips, his reflection hissed at him.

"No matter much you hide, I will find you. No matter how far you run, I will catch you. And no matter how much you deny it, I am you!" With a crackle of insane laughter, the reflection raised his fist and  
brought it down against the plane of glass which shattered spectacularly.

Ivan could only watch as the small silvers of glass rained down. Instead of dropping in a pile, they melted into the floor. From the point where the shards of glass had dissolved, the floor shifted to a dark opaque. The color spread itself like a deadly virus, infecting all that it came in contact with. Soon the whole floor was the same dark opaque color.

It was then, with a resounding and ominous crack did thick cracks make their way across the floor.

Within every facet, Ivan could make out a hint of his dark reflection; an malicious eye or the curve of a wicked mouth.

Dark laughter echoed around him.

"Give me control. You can just release all the weight that burdens you. You won't have to make anymore decisions; just drift in peace." The deceptively sweet voice crooned at him. "All you have to  
do is let go."

Ivan shuddered, struggling to block out the voice but to no avail. The whispered promises seemed to be coming from everywhere; there was no way to avoid them.

"Give up. Give in." The voice turned seductive, trying to entice rather than threaten. "Imagine. No more disappointments and no more rejections. No longer would you have to suffer under the harsh  
limitations of the world. No more pain. Just peace. All you have to do is give in; to relinquish control to me. I'll take good care of you."

Ivan closed his eyes; it was so tempting. To not have to face the harshness of life and just be lost in a dream of serene sunflowers.

He took a long shuddering breath and was about to answer when he felt something lightly brush against his cheek.

Opening his eyes, he was met with the sight of tiny citrine flower petals fluttering down.

"Ignore them; they're nothing more than a insignificant distraction ." The voice crooned again but with a twinge of agitation audible.

"…they're sunflower petals." Ivan breathed out. He could ignore the bright flickers anymore than he could stop his heart.

"I said ignore them." The annoyance could be clearly heard in the previous soft voice. Now it was louder and sounded like it was gritting it's teeth. "Stop looking at them!"

Ivan, however, didn't even register the voice anymore. He slowly lifted his arm, struggling with the lingering heaviness, and held out his hand.

A single petal, brighter than sunshine, fluttered onto his palm.

Ivan let out a breath of wonder and raised his hand closer to his face, not even noticing how the previous heaviness had melted away like ice at the beginning of Spring.

"Throw that away!" The formerly sweet voice had turned dark with anger. "I said: _Throw that away_!"

Ivan froze, startled back into the present. He hadn't noticed the voice until it had yelled at him.

"…no… I don't want to…" Ivan mumbled, distressed and torn. He wanted the pain and cold to end but he couldn't give up his one symbol of hope and dreams. Without sunflowers he would be lost, with no direction or bearings left to give life any meaning.

"_I don't care if you don't want to! __**Throw that away!**_" The voice howled at Ivan, the fury and frustration coloring his every word.

A sudden gust of icy wind howled around Ivan's form. As it threatened to sweep the fragile petal from Ivan's grasp, he cupped it protectively in his hands. Ivan violently shook his head in defiance.

"**NO! I WON'T!**"

CRASH! And suddenly he was falling. The floor he had been standing on had shattered and was now plummeting into the depths of darkness.

"_You_ _can't escape me! No matter what you can't escape me! I'm always with you!_" Furious snarls echoed after him.

Deeper and deeper he plunged through a dark and icy abyss.

Wisps of fog drifted past him as he fell. As the light from above grew dimmer and dimmer, Ivan began to shiver violently. No longer could he make out the faintest of details in the gloom. Sensation began to slowly disappear. It grew difficult for Ivan to tell which way was up and down. All he could feel was a violent chill that seemed to permeate down to his very bones. Soon, his teeth began to chatter from the loss in awareness. He continued falling with no end in sight.

He had almost succumb to the hopelessness of it all when he remembered to sunflower petal. He cautiously opening his hands a tiny bit because not only could he not see he was also nearly stiff with cold. He didn't think it would make any difference really whether or not he still had it but for some reason he felt he just had to check.

To his great surprise, he saw a faint glimmer. A tiny sliver of light was emanating from the petal. But that was enough to penetrate the helpless despair that had griped him as continued to tumble down.

"醒-"

The small petal's light fluttered.

Ivan gently held his cupped hands to his ear. He thought he had heard something when the glow had pulsed. He concentrated hard but didn't hear anything. He was about to put his hand down and just gaze at the petal for comfort when he heard a murmur.

"醒来…"

He frowned in puzzlement for a second but relaxed when he heard it again. This time it was barely above a whisper but the sound gently washed over him.

"醒来… 醒来…"

"Ahh…" Ivan closed his eyes. That was someone's voice. But it wasn't the mirror reflection's voice. Its voice was much deeper and had a harsh rasp. This voice was light and soothing with a slight lilt to it; almost as if they were singing.

"醒来… 醒来… 醒来…"

Ivan felt pulled to the serene voice. It sounded almost feminine with its melodic whisper. He wanted to know who that person was. He wanted to know how they could have such a gentle feel in the soft sound of the words they uttered. He wanted to feel such kindness and be kind in return. He had to find the person.

It was then that he realized he had stopped falling.

* * *

So bright.

That was what the first thing he thought. It was such a contrast from the darkness he had just felt that he flinched.

He cautiously tried to open his eyes again but was still unable to stand the suddenness of the light so he decided to try and wait. He began to test his other senses. He still felt a bit cold but nothing like the icy chill that he had before. He took a deep breath and sniffed the air. A whiff of unidentifiable spices hit his nose with a twitch.

"醒来… 醒来…"

Ivan tensed. It was that voice again! It sounded very near! He tried to open his eyes again and squint against the glare of light.

At first he couldn't make out anything. Then he saw the colors. Amongst a wall of soft pale brown was a bright patch of red. It swayed back and forth in tune with the voice. As his eyes finally adjusted he realized this was a person, _the_ person. Ivan realized that she had her back to him and was fiddling with a teapot on the table. Ivan was riveted.

A mane midnight hair was tied back with a red silken ribbon. That only complemented the crimson garment that flowed around the slender figure. Delicate hands the color of cream darted out beneath the sleeves.

All of a sudden, she turned.

Ivan's violet eyes widened as they met her eyes. She had eyes the shade of dark honey with tiny slivers of gold. Her eyes had opened wide in surprise as they beheld his.

She was an angel.

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

醒来 = wake up

AN: I am so very sorry for not updating in so long. I could say that college has been occupying most of my time but I really have no excuses.

_To my dear DEAR friends Osaka and Alien26. Without you two I would still have chapter 3 sitting on my computer. Thank you for your constant encouragement! I love you guys!_

_Thank__ you for reading and please review!_

Uploaded: February 14, 2011 [a] 2:07am_  
_


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia and as much as I may love it, I never will.

_**This is not an April Fool's joke! It really is a new chapter! ;D**_

"Normal speech"

'_Thought speech'_

_Flashback_

* * *

Chapter 4

* * *

The fresh scent of spring onions wafted though the air. The soft sounds of pots and pans being clanged together made the smell even more tempting. A loud grumble suddenly broke though the quiet of the room.

Ivan blushed even though there wasn't anyone in the room with him. The beautiful angel, whom he now knew was called Yao, was cooking breakfast for him. She was cooking. For him.

He blushed even more. Why in the world would such a heavenly being do something so menial for someone as undeserving as him? She should have servants upon servant waiting at her every beck and call. Just then, Yao entered the room holding a tray of things.

"Ivan先生, I think it was time for you to eat some more solid foods. So, I made some rice porridge for you. I added in some eggs and ground meat with some spring onions for flavor. It's light enough that you should be able to keep it down. And not only do they taste good, they are also good for you." A kind smile alighted Yao's face.

Ivan smiled. Yao was very enthusiastic in her caring for Ivan. Yao had insisted on being responsible for everything concerning Ivan. The only outside help she had was when she consulted a doctor that had briefly visited to take a look at Ivan.

Yao changed all of Ivan's bandages herself. She even gathered and ground all of the plants to make the herbal remedies for Ivan. Often times, Ivan woke to hear Yao softly humming beside him as she ground the bitter herbs into a powder or paste. Making them into a poultice, she carefully applied it generously to all of Ivan's injuries.

In particular, she paid special attention to the deep shoulder wound; that was the most serious and would likely take the longest to mend. Every day, Yao would gently slather the poultice over Ivan's wounds and then meticulously wrap fresh bandages over each one.

"After you finish eating, I have some willowbark tea for you. No, don't make that face." Yao said amused at the slight grimace that Ivan showed with the wrinkling of his nose.

"I know that it is very bitter but it will keep your fever down and away as well as help with any headaches." Gently chiding him, Yao set the tray on the side table before helping Ivan sit up. Propping him up with another pillow, Yao sat down on the side of the bed and picked up the bowl of rice porridge. She deftly spooned up a bit and held it out for Ivan to eat.

Ivan blushed again but obediently opened his mouth and ate. After his disastrous first attempt at eating a bowl of broth by himself, Yao had taken to spoon feeding him. His shoulder wound was on his dominant arm and thus hindered him in many things; including the most simplest of tasks such as feeding himself.

However, Ivan couldn't find it in himself to be too bothered by this turn of events that led to this. It had led him to this beautiful creature- no angel- named Yao hadn't it?

It was just too bad that Yao was a human. As much as he wanted to disbelieve it, Yao seemed to be completely human.

Despite her loveliness and her occasional bright attire, Yao acted and looked human. She did all the mundane things that normal humans did. She was treated with some deference when she was among the other villagers but Ivan assumed it due to her probably being the daughter of the chief or leader.

Still, he wished that she wasn't human. That she really was an angel. Or at least another country like him. That way, he wouldn't have to see her affected by the sands of time. He didn't think he would be able to survive watching her wither away and then die. Even if she rejected him, he would still watch over her. From the moment he had set eyes on her, he had felt the tugging of a heart he hadn't known he still possessed.

"Is something wrong?" Yao's soft melodic voice broke though his musings. Lost within his thoughts, Ivan had begun to frown at the possibility of losing Yao.

'_Look at me, I haven't even tried and already I'm thinking that she'll reject me.'_ Ivan sighed and smiled back at her.

"I am fine. I was just thinking about some unpleasant thoughts. This food tastes quite nice. What did you say it was called? Rice porridge?" Ivan quickly tried to reassure Yao. Yao just nodded with a small smile and continued spooning the delicious rice porridge for Ivan.

Luckily for him, he and Yao both spoke English (which to his distaste was becoming a universally known language.) In this case, he was somewhat glad that its influence had spread to the far reaches of countries as distant as China. He had learned upon awakening that he was in the country of China.

He and his boss had been communicating with China for some time now. He knew that they were also Communist now. However, he hadn't met China face to face yet. His boss was going to arrange a meeting with the other male, also named Yao, when Ivan had been challenged by Alfred or America.

Now he wondered if he would chance upon meeting China somewhere during his stay. It was unlikely however, seeing as China was quite a large country. The odds of coming face to face with him were infinitesimal.

Finally finished with the rice porridge, Ivan watched as Yao set aside the bowl. Carefully, he lifted the teapot and poured the steaming tea into the cup next to it. She held the cup to Ivan's lips, watching as he drank down every drop. Satisfied that Ivan wasn't faking it, Yao patted him on the head and set everything on the tray.

Getting up, she turned to leave. Spurred on with a sudden urge, Ivan held out a hand and caught Yao's sleeve.

With a slight puzzled look, Yao turned around. Ivan suddenly wasn't sure about this but kept on.

"Umm.. 谢谢?" Ivan stammered out. It was unlike him to be so unsure but he had been watching everyone around him and he was reasonably sure that he had said thank you in Chinese. He was just about to apologise when a beautiful smile bloomed on Yao's face. Ivan's breath caught and he could only stare.

"不用谢!" With that, Yao left with a blushing bright red Ivan staring after the other.

* * *

To be continued…

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Chinese translations:

Ivan先生: Mr. Ivan

谢谢: Thank you

不用谢: (Literally) "No need for thanks" but it just means "you're welcome"

* * *

Hi everyone! I pranked my dear Osaka and Alien26 by saying that I had updated today. However, this is now true since I have updated before Midnight. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed this! I know it's a little short but I wrote it all today in-between a LOT of things going around.

Review for me and Mr. Bunny! They really help me update faster!

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